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Before long the local jails were overflowing with witches identified by other witches who had "confessed", and trials had to be held to free up space in jail.  But trials then were primitive, allowing "spectral evidence" as a basis for convicting someone.  "Spectral evidence" is testimony by a victim that she had been visited by an image ("specter") of the accused, thereby suggesting the guilt of the accused.  Another flaw in the legal system included a lack of a defense attorney for the accused, the allowance of "touching tests" as evidence, and proof did not have to be proven "beyond reasonable doubt," as it must be today.

Before long the local jails were overflowing with witches identified by other witches who had "confessed", and trials had to be held to free up space in jail.  But trials then were primitive, allowing "spectral evidence" as a basis for convicting someone.  "Spectral evidence" is testimony by a victim that she had been visited by an image ("specter") of the accused, thereby suggesting the guilt of the accused.  Another flaw in the legal system included a lack of a defense attorney for the accused, the allowance of "touching tests" as evidence, and proof did not have to be proven "beyond reasonable doubt," as it must be today.

City authorities prosecuted the suspects (mostly older women but also some men), and nearly two dozen were convicted and executed for the crime of witchcraft.  Some thought that the trials offered an opportunity to expose the nature and ways of the devil for the benefit of knowledge.  But others observed that killing all these people may itself the work of the devil.  Finally one of the accused witches identified the wife of the governor as being a witch.  That alarmed the authorities, and the governor demanded the exclusion of spectral evidence and touching tests as evidence against the accused, and that proof be based on a higher standard of "clear and convincing evidence."  Under these better legal standards, nearly everyone was acquitted (found "not guilty") and the governor pardoned the few who were still convicted.  Tituba herself, who sparked the panic, later recanted her "confession" but remained in jail another year until a kind person paid the jailer money to release her and her husband.  Note that while a few Puritans did own slaves in early times, they did not split slave families.

City authorities prosecuted the suspects (mostly older women but also some men), and nearly two dozen were convicted and executed for the crime of witchcraft.  Some thought that the trials offered an opportunity to expose the nature and ways of the devil for the benefit of knowledge.  But others observed that killing all these people may itself the work of the devil.  Finally one of the accused witches identified the wife of the governor as being a witch.  That alarmed the governor himself, obviously, and he intervened to order the exclusion of spectral evidence and touching tests as evidence against the accused, and that proof be based on a higher standard of "clear and convincing evidence."  Under these better legal standards, nearly everyone was acquitted (found "not guilty") and the governor pardoned the few who were still convicted.  Tituba herself, who sparked the panic, later recanted her "confession" but remained in jail another year until a kind person paid the jailer money to release her and her husband.  (Note that while a few Puritans did own slaves in early times, they did not split slave families.)  Many associated with the trials later apologized, but not the chief judge William Stoughton.  He always insisted that he was about to "clear the land" of witches and the governor should not have intervened to prevent this; Stoughton subsequently became governor himself of the Massachusetts colony.

This entire episode is taught today to embarrass the [[Puritan]]s and religious authority in general.  But this episode did not directly weaken [[Puritan]] authority.  Instead, it was success and prosperity that caused people to turn away from the strict Puritan life.  In 1850 a classic in American literature, The Scarlet Letter, described life in Puritan Boston in the 1600s and criticized its strict adherence to morality and the occasional hardship that caused.  Yet when that public morality was abandoned, Boston and Massachusetts became the most liberal areas in the nation, and one of only two states to allow same-sex marriage.  Morally, Massachusetts is now directly opposite to what it was in the 1600s.

This entire episode is taught today to embarrass the [[Puritan]]s and religious authority in general.  But this episode did not directly weaken [[Puritan]] authority.  Instead, it was success and prosperity that caused people to turn away from the strict Puritan life.  In 1850 a classic in American literature, The Scarlet Letter, described life in Puritan Boston in the 1600s and criticized its strict adherence to morality and the occasional hardship that caused.  Yet when that public morality was abandoned, Boston and Massachusetts became the most liberal areas in the nation, and one of only two states to allow same-sex marriage.  Morally, Massachusetts is now directly opposite to what it was in the 1600s.

'''Debate:  What was precisely wrong about the Salem Witch Trials?'''

'''Debate:  Does the legal system or the Puritans -- or neither -- deserve blame for the Salem Witch Trials?'''

== Salutary Neglect ==

== Salutary Neglect ==